Meet ‘The Happy Place Entertainers’ from Queensland

What started as a simple idea to help a customer achieve his goal of becoming a comedian has developed into an exciting new variety show starring our Gold Coast customers!

Participants from our Mudgeeraba Hub and Burleigh Hub have come together to form ‘The Happy Place Entertainers’ a troupe who never fail to bring a smile to their audiences faces.

Their most recent performance was on the 18th of April at Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities in Robina. The ABC popped down to check it out and you can view the digital story and ‘Make me feel good’ podcast episode here.

“Riley is so quick-witted and always has the best jokes. His lifelong dream is to be a comedian, which gave me the idea to create a variety show,” says Support Worker, Ally.

She shared her idea with the customers and team at our Hubs on the Gold Coast and everyone was keen to help make her vision a reality.

After many hours of planning and practice, the variety show came together with around 15 talented acts. They cover hit songs, dancing, poetry, and of course, comedy. It was a team effort with everyone (even those who don’t get on stage) lending a hand. Whether it be making props, setting up the sound system, or ushering in audiences on the day, everyone joins in.

“Dan is our props guy. He doesn’t like to talk to people he doesn’t know, but as soon as the audience starts arriving, he’s out there ushering them to their seats. It’s the most amazing thing.”

Meanwhile, Riley, who inspired the idea for the show, wrote his own script, practiced, and gave a killer performance.

“Riley’s performance was phenomenal. He thanked me after the show and said, ‘I can now say that I’ve achieved my life’s goal of becoming a real comedian.’ To be able to give him that was so special,” shared Allison.

Another star who performed on the day, was “the famous Stanley” who has amassed 135.3 thousand followers on TikTok for sharing his busking performances and funny moments from his life on the Gold Coast. There is also Christina, who always blows the crowd away with her talent when she performs show tune classics, like “an absolute legend.”

The most recent performance was their fifth show and the group already have another one booked for May.

“The show is so amazing. It’s an incredible opportunity for our customers to perform, connect with the community, and feel appreciated by the audience,” says Alida, Aruma’s Service Lead Community.

Odyssey CEO and founder Phil Usher says they are always incredibly excited to welcome the ‘The Happy Place Entertainers’ to Odyssey and to see the residents enjoy the positive atmosphere and amazing talents.

“This event perfectly aligns with our mission of creating meaningful moments for our residents that foster a sense of belonging and connection within the community where everyone feels valued,” said Mr Usher.

But it’s not just the audience who benefits from the shows, the participants have grown immensely too.

Ally said, “Jaimie does a poetry reading. Her ability to read has improved enormously since starting the shows. She is so proud of herself.”

“This experience has been unreal. It’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life.”

Amazing work Ally and our Gold Coast customers! We can’t wait to see some highlights from the next show.

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